Aquaponics

A Dr. adventure into sustainability in the Classroom

AquaponicsAquaculture

• What is it?

• What are the pros?

• What are the cons?

Hydroponics

• What is it?

• What are the pros?

• What are the cons?

TED:Aquaponics

Methods of AquaponicsMedia Filled Beds• A media-filled bed system

uses a tank or container that is filled with gravel, perlite or another media for the plant bed. This bed is periodically flooded with water from the fish tank. The water then drains back to the fish tank. All waste, including the solids, is broken down within

the plant bed.

Nutrient Film Technique• Nutrient rich water is pumped

down small enclosed gutters, the water flowing down the gutter is only a very thin film. Plants sit in small plastic cups allowing their roots to access the water and absorb the nutrients.

Deep Water Culture/RaftIn a raft system the plants are grown on Polystyrene boards (rafts) that float on top of water. Most often, this is in a tank separate from the fish tank. Water flows continuously from the fish tank, through filtration components, through the raft tank where the plants are grown and then back to the fish tank.

What type of System?

Google Keyword Searches:

• “Window Farms”• “Window Gardens”• “Bottle Gardens”• “Apartment Aquaponics”• “Indoor Aquaponics”• “Tabletop Aquaponics”

1.Pick your group members.• You may work alone

• Maximum of 4 people in a group. (Make sure you choose wisely as you will sink or swim together)

• Create a group name

2. Determine what you will grow.

3. Determine what supplies will be needed.• Containers: Fish container, Plant Container, Bacteria Container (Medium)

• Organisms: Fish, plants/seeds, bacteria

• Misc: Light, pump, air stone, tubing, clamps etc.

4. Sketch your labeled aquaponics design

5. Create a list of supplies, and directions for assembling your system

6. Determine who will bring what and add that to your list.

Email me a link to your Post (cc group members) of the following to your social media site by Friday 1/23/15

1. What is the purpose of this investigation/experiment?

2. Generate a hypothesis.

3. What kind of qualitative data will you collect?• (Descriptions: what you did/what you observed)

4. What kind of quantitative data will you collect?• (What you measured; pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, gas bubbles, water level, growth in cm)

5. When/how often will you collect it?

6. How will you record your data?

7. Where will you document your progress for the scientific community?• create a webpage/wikispace/glogster or some multi-media presentation of your ecosystem and results of your

experiment

8. How will you report your final data to the scientific community?

9. How will you know your experiment is a success?

10. Take and post a “before” picture of your set up

Create an Aquaponics Title page, to the LEFT of your root word section.

This is page 0

• Set up Aquaponics unit with everything except the fish.

• Complete the following in your interactive notebook:

• Count backwards from the page to the left of your root word section

• Fill out pages 1 and 2 of your Aquaponics section as shown in the adjacent diagram

• Page 3:

• Record pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate daily

• Make sure you tape test strips in your notebook

• Page 4:

• Sketch all plants and fish

Tank Check

Each tank should have:

1. Fish

2. Plants

3. Media to support the plants

4. Light to grow plants

5. Clearly labeled with group name

6. QR code to group data page

Email me a link to your Post (cc group members) of the following to your social media site by _______

1. What has worked so far in your aquaponics system?

2. What has not worked so far in your aquaponics system?

3. What has surprised you most in your aquaponics system?

4. What are areas for planned improvement. What are those plans for improvement?

5. A picture of your group’s favorite part of the project so far, with 3 <sentences explaining why.

When you email me your link(s), include:

• Name of group

• Names of group members

1. Chart/Table with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature over 30+ days

2. Graph with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature over 30+ days

3. Table/Chart with plant growth (height in cm)

4. Graph with plant growth (height in cm)

When you email me your link(s), include:

• Name of group

• Names of group members

Email me a link to your Post (cc group members) of the following to your social media site by _______

1. Pictures of plants

2. Scientific names of plants

3. Description of how your plant looks and how it has grown over the past month.

4. Has your plant growth met your expectations? Describe (yes/no insufficient)

5. Why or why not? (Hypothesize reasons for your observations)

6. What have you done, to make it meet your expectations?

7. What would you do differently?

Email me a link to your Post (cc group members) of the following to your social media site by _______

Aquaponics System Summary- Due by ________Email me link to website, cc to group members with following information:

/3pts Group name and first name of members clearly visible

/8pts Before (2 pictures side & top view) and After (2 pictures side & top view) AP System Picture Comparison. Pictures should be labeled with explanations of differences.

/10pts Chart/Table with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature over 30+ days

/10pts Graph with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature over 30+ days (graphs should include title, x-axis label, y-axis label, units, color coded key)

/5pts Chart/Table with plant growth (height in cm)

/3pts Final labeled picture of plants at maximum growth (label plant parts)

/5pts Graph with plant growth (tables should include title, x-axis label, y-axis label, units in cm, color coded key)

/8pts At least 8 Fish cam/fish behavior dated blog entries on 8 different days.

/8pts Summary that explain why your hypothesis was met or not met and whether your experiment was successful with an explanation of why or why not.

Resources• http://www.japan-aquaponics.com/fish-tank-guide.html

• Japan Aquaponics

• Aquaponics System Solutions

Student Pages• Fire & Ice: http://www.pinterest.com/fandice/

• Something Fishy: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Something-Fishy/715411238538951

• Skillz that Killz: http://skillzthatkillzz.blogspot.com

• LMSZ Aquaponics: http://shantihaughton.wix.com/lmsaquaponics#!untitled/c1wwi

• Fish Fillet: http://www.reddit.com/r/aquaponics/comments/2lk1lt/update_my_first_aquaponics_system/

• Aqua Team Hunger Force: https://www.facebook.com/groups/859296200771407/?notif_t=group_admin

• Krusty Fish Crew: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1504178349839303/